


A Bard Called Dandelion

by im_fairly_witty



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher (Video Game), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Death, Forgive me but I was thinking about all of Geralt's Roachs and it got me feeling a kind of way, Love, M/M, New Loves, and what comes between
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22707310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_fairly_witty/pseuds/im_fairly_witty
Summary: Geralt explains why he always names his horses Roach. A bittersweet drabble that is not actually about horses.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 45
Kudos: 321





	A Bard Called Dandelion

“So you just name every horse you ride Roach?” Aleksander asked, plucking idly at the strings of his harp as he watched Geralt pack the last of their camp into the saddlebags. “You have so many opportunities to come up with a lovely name every time you get a new horse and you pick _roach_ every time?”

“I’ve had nearly two centuries of horses.” Geralt said, adjusting a strap. “When you live that long you don’t want a new horse, you want _your_ horse.” He patted the silver gelding’s neck. “I always need a horse if I’m going to survive, if they’re all Roach it makes it easier.”

“You outlive so many so quickly that you can’t bear to mourn them all.” Aleksander realized softly, his teasing cheeriness sobering.

“Was eight when I named my first Roach.” Geralt said with a ghost of a nostalgic smile. Anyone else might have missed it, but two years traveling with the Witcher had trained Aleksander well in the art of catching micro expressions. “Loved that horse until the day she died. Couldn’t bear to really lose her, so I picked another just like her.”

“But not all your horses are the same.” Aleksander said. “Wasn’t your last Roach black with a nasty temper?”

“They’re not the same.” Geralt nodded. “But they’re still Roach, and it makes it easier.”

“There’s a ballad in that you know,” Aleksander said, thoughtfully looking up at the tree branches swaying in the morning breeze above them as he strummed a chord. “Something sad, mournful. About the fleeting impermanence of love, how we have to find a way to keep it even when it leaves us first. Is love the same even when it’s different?”

“Do us both a favor and wax lyrical while we’re moving.” Geralt said with a wry grin, finishing his packing and offering Aleksander a hand up. “If we wait for you to finish I’ll need a new Roach by then.”

“Oh I’m sure he’d still be able to at least limp along by the time I finished.” Aleksander teased back as Geralt pulled him to his feet.

The Witcher only shook his head with a smile. He gently kissed Aleksander’s forehead and waving him toward the saddle as he took Roach’s reigns.

“Up you get, Dandelion.”

Aleksander smiled at the witcher’s pet name for him as he climbed into the saddle.

_Why do you call me that? I don’t look anything like a dandelion, my hair’s red as anything._ He’d asked once.

_You just remind me of a dandelion._ Was the only response he’d ever been able to get out of his White Wolf, a moniker so old no one even remembered where Geralt had first gotten it.

Aleksander strummed his harp as Geralt pulled Roach forward into a walk, starting them down the road again.

As he started pulling together bits of verses and lyrics Aleksander idly wondered how many more Roaches Geralt would go on to have after this one had grown old and passed like all the rest.

He found himself hoping that Geralt had loved, and would continue to love, all of them all as much as he did this one.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm 100% team immortal!Jaskier, but realizing that Geralt is already used to dealing with repeatedly losing his closest animal friend made me realize he would probably turn to a similar coping method to deal with eventually losing his closest human one too. They never truly replace Jaskier, but now that he knows how to love and be loved he can't go back to being alone any more than he can go horseless.
> 
> On a lighter note, I'm currently accepting SWF Geraskier prompts over on my tumbler @im-fairly-whitty! Come hang out with the rest of us while I continue to write and draw the boys and shoot my inbox an ask if you've got an idea for the boys, I just might take you up on it!


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